Chapter Thirteen
Visions of the past and present flashed in front of Skylar’s eyes. Jamie’s pale face. Playing with Lia in their backyard, their parents laughing on the porch. Jamie’s widening eyes as he attempted to clutch her shaking hands. Lia’s fateful attack by their adopted father, and her leaving with a mangled face as she ran into the wilderness alone.
This pack, this family she had grown close to in the short weeks that had passed, had murdered Lia. Slaughtered her older sister. And Skylar had slept under the same roof her sister had, oblivious to the circumstances.
The room spun as Skylar shot out of the bed. She fumbled for her shoes. Her numb fingers couldn’t undo the laces, so she grasped the whole shoe instead, running from the room in her socks.
It was just her luck, to move from one ruthless pack to another. To a pack that shared a history with her.
“Skylar, wait!” Jamie yelled from behind her, breaking through the fog in her brain. The fog wouldn’t clear, riddled with pain and disgust. Her feet slid on the stairs, and she gripped the railing, pushing her numb body until she stood in front of a pale-faced Emery. She sat at the kitchen island with Cat, a steaming cup in her hands.
“Em, we need to go. We’re leaving.”
Emery startled, but she calmly set the mug down and stood. Skylar could only imagine how she looked, with the depth of the emotions threatening to tear apart her insides.
“What, we’re going back to the house?” Emery asked, her voice even, but Skylar could hear the slight fear and confusion.
“I don’t know. But we can’t stay here.”
Not with these people. Blood coated their hands. Blood that Skylar couldn’t quite comprehend yet.
“Skylar, I don’t understand. What is going on?”
Skylar sighed, trying to push down the panic bubbling to the surface. Jamie’s feet pounded behind her as he rushed into the room.
“I’ll tell you later—”
“Skylar, just hold on a second. Don’t leave. Let us explain!” Jamie’s voice rang with desperation, and he shoved past Skylar, getting between her and Emery.
Emery’s gaze bounced between them. Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion, and she slid to a stand from the barstool. Skylar didn’t want to hear an explanation. She had heard all she needed to.
“Let’s go, Em. I’ll tell you what’s going on at home.”
Emery shook her head. “No. Tell me now.” She stood firm, her feet planted on the floor, and clenched her stubborn jaw.
This was going to devastate her. Skylar swallowed, looking up at Jamie, at the worry on his face. Cat had stood as well, bracing herself on the counter to stare at the three shifters beside her. She seemed unsure of whom to support in this situation, but Skylar knew that Jamie would always be the winner in Cat’s heart. He was pack. And Skylar now questioned her affiliation with the people in the room.
“They killed Lia.” The words came out garbled, like they refused to even admit the probability that it had really happened.
Emery gasped, her gaze shooting toward Cat and Jamie. “What? That’s crazy. Why would you even say that?”
Frustrated, needing space and to drag her sister home but knowing Emery wouldn’t go willingly, Skylar shoved Jamie’s shoulder. “Tell her, Jamie. You had a woman named Aurelia who lived here, and you killed her. Show her the fucking picture.”
Cat gasped, and Jamie hung his head away from Emery’s eyes. Disbelief begged beneath her dark eyelashes, hope that it was all a lie. He clenched the phone still in his hand, unwilling to show the teenaged girl who had begun to look up to him. “Skylar, just let me explain. You don’t know the whole story.”
Skylar cursed, grabbing the phone from him and bringing the picture back up. It sat there on the screen, imposing on a life that Skylar had just begun to see as a chance for happiness. She flipped it over, showing it to Emery. Her sister gasped again, choking on the tears that sprang to life. She touched the screen with a delicate finger, over a face they hadn’t seen in years.
“No way…” Emery whispered, her hand dropping to her side in resignation. The pain in her gaze sent Skylar moving, grabbing her hand and dragging her toward the exit of the house. Toward their truck. Away from the expressions full of regret burning into their backs. Jamie’s voice yelled behind her, echoed by Cat as they desperately tried to get them to stay. But Skylar couldn’t even look at them any longer.
* * * *
The door clicked behind Skylar. The sound, so small and insignificant in the silent house, made Jamie’s heart beat faster. She was leaving. She had dragged Emery out of the room without a single glance back, and he had let her. Could he blame her for going? The world had a funny game going on here, pushing Skylar into his life only to have the pack’s past tear her away. What kind of coincidence was it that Jamie’s family had participated in her sister’s death?
His heart clenched, and he leaned against the wall. Why did it hurt so much? To see her leave sent panic rising to his throat. He wanted to scream, beg her to stay, to just listen. In fact, that was what he’d do. He would make her listen to what he had to say if he had to barricade her inside her house.
His feet moved toward the door, but a hand pushed on his chest. He looked down at Cat, her tiny body blocking his way. Her mouth moved, but he couldn’t understand a word she said beyond the pulse drumming in his ears.
“Move, kitten.” Was that his voice? Why did it sound so muddled and strange, so rough?
“No, Jamie. You need to stay here,” she responded, her hand pushing firmly again. “Let me go talk to her.”
Confused, Jamie looked down at her. Cat had been there. Had heard Aurelia’s final attempt to beg for her life as Killian bit into her throat. “How does that make sense? She’s not going to want to talk to you, Cat.”
“Listen to me. If you go in there, nothing is going to change. I was there. It’s my fault that Lia died, my responsibility to tell Skylar what happened. You were at home, Jamie. You need to let me do this. This isn’t your battle.” Her voice shook. Everybody knew how intensely that night had affected Cat, but that it had also made her stronger. The weak she-wolf had become his Alpha’s mate and had earned that right. Yet her logic still didn’t click in his head. Wouldn’t this only upset Skylar more? He didn’t want that. He wanted this buried, like it never happened. How could she ever forgive them, even knowing the reasons?
“Jamie. Let her go.” His Alpha’s command filtered through the air like static, raising the hair on Jamie’s neck. Killian stood at the bottom of the stairs, resting his hip on the banister. His arms were crossed over his chest, and his lips were set in a firm line. He had been working and had probably heard the commotion.
Jamie sighed and dropped his head. He couldn’t deny the command, and that only angered him further. “Dammit, Killian,” he muttered, running a hand through his hair. He clenched his fingers in his wild curls, pulling at the ends. Anything to take away the emotions he was trying so hard to control.
Cat looked between the two of them and walked out the door at Killian’s nod. And Jamie could do nothing but watch her leave and hope it worked.
* * * *
The sound of crunching gravel came through the open window, and Skylar closed her eyes. Of course Jamie would come after her. The desperation to make her stay hadn’t gone over her head. But the sound of his voice grated over her raw nerves, like adding salt to her wounds. Emery’s gasping sobs rocked her body, and Skylar held her closer. They sat on the couch together, Emery wrapped in Skylar’s arms, both feeling the same monumental pain from the loss of their sister.
He didn’t knock. The door downstairs clicked closed behind him. His footsteps whispered on the usually loud wooden steps. But Jamie’s scent didn’t reach her senses—only cherry blossoms. Cat. Skylar’s growl rumbled in her throat. Jamie had probably chickened out and stayed home, letting the woman try to sort it out.
“Come any farther into this house, Cat, and I’ll kill you right here.”
Emery’s cries quieted, and she lifted from Skylar’s lap to look at the stairs. Red-rimmed eyes and a pale face were not unusual for Emery, but Skylar had thought she could avoid seeing the destruction in her sister’s face again. Thought they were long past the pain from Montana. But it had only followed them.
Cat’s steps didn’t even hesitate, but she let out a long sigh. She reached the top of the stairs and rested a hand on the low wall dividing them from the rest of the upstairs apartment.
“Once upon a time, Skylar, that probably would’ve scared me.”
Skylar stood from the couch. All right, so she wouldn’t murder her. That would only get Skylar into more trouble. But maybe she could beat the shit out of her and give them enough time to leave before Killian hunted them down. They already had one angry Alpha with their names at the top of his hit list. Why not add another one? The anger in Skylar’s eyes gave her away. Or it could have been her clenched fists at her sides. Cat held up a hand and shook her head.
“Careful, there. I’m still your Alpha’s mate. I already know you’re not going to attack me.” Cat stayed calm, and the guilt emanating off her softened Skylar. A little. “Sit down, Skylar. We need to talk.”
Skylar shifted on her feet, not wanting to back down but also hating the expression on Cat’s face. It was Skylar and Emery who should be depressed, angry, devastated. Yet Cat’s shoulders drooped. Her blue eyes glittered with unshed tears.
“Please. It’s about Aurelia. You really need to know what happened.”
Skylar’s back straightened at the sound of her sister’s name. “I really don’t.”
“I do,” Emery said from the couch, dragging Skylar’s menacing gaze toward her.
“Emery—” Skylar started, but Emery cut her off.
“Let her speak, Sky. I want—no, need—to know what happened.” She looked at Cat, and Skylar couldn’t believe the softness in her expression. Wasn’t Emery just as angry as Skylar felt?
Cat’s throat moved, and she stepped farther into the living room. She clenched her hands and let out a shaky breath.
“When I came here, Lia had already been a part of the pack for a few years. She was one of the first shifters Killian and the others had brought in. Everyone knew she had a story, but she never shared what it was specifically. She had an obsession with Killian. There’s really no other way to put it. She loved him, lusted after him, wanted to be his mate because he was powerful… I don’t know. But she wasn’t happy when Killian and I…hooked up.” Cat met Emery’s stare.
“Long story short, she betrayed us. There was someone looking for me, and she let them know exactly where I was. It got Jessica and Kelly kidnapped, and we thought she had been taken along with them.” She scoffed, looking to the side with burning anger. “You can’t imagine what it was like for us, finding out what she’d done. It may have been forgivable. Killian could have let her go, banish her from the pack. But then she attacked me. And Killian had to do what any Alpha would do.”
Cat stared at Skylar, and Skylar couldn’t hold back the shiver that traveled down her spine. She could see it. Fangs ripping into her beautiful sister’s throat. But the betrayal—it didn’t make any sense.
“I just…don’t understand. Lia was so loving and amazing—”
“To us, Sky. She was to us. But you were always blind when it came to Lia.” Emery’s words were strong, bold, and fierce. She stood from the couch, grabbing Skylar’s hands, which refused to stop shaking.
“I was young, but I saw everything. You adored her. She was our protector. But she was obsessed with becoming powerful. Jon made her that way.”
Skylar shook her head, disbelief in her core. No way would Lia be so cruel. Yet she could feel the truth behind Emery’s words. Like she had missed out on the last piece of the puzzle that was Lia. Why she was willing to leave her and Emery behind, knowing what torture they would go through.
“No way. She left because Jonathon banished her.” It didn’t even sound right to her own ears. But habit and love had her saying it anyway.
“Yes. And how was she going to get back to us, Sky? She saw Killian as a way to come back. To set up a war against Jon.”
For someone so young, Emery held crazy amounts of intelligence. She was observant, and God… She was right. Skylar remembered Aurelia’s entranced expression as she’d tell them her plans to overtake the pack, to lead them better than Jon. Skylar’s blood rushed from her face, from her whole body, and she dropped to the couch. Her hand slipped from Emery’s and fell limp to her lap.
“Oh, my God…”
Cat moved into her view, crouching at Skylar’s knees. Skylar looked up at her, not really seeing anything besides the regret, the anger, the hurt reflected there. As if she looked into her own heart. But those were Cat’s feelings. They were how she felt at the loss of their sister because that was just who Cat was. And Skylar hated that she doubted that. Hated the feelings that battled within her, in defense of her sister and her desire to see this pack, these people, for who they really were.
“Look, I know how hard forgiveness is. Believe me. Revenge is my middle name.” Her hand gripped Skylar’s numb leg. “Killian had to kill Lia, and I’m hoping you understand that. Don’t let what happened destroy your chance at happiness. I’m sorry I overheard what you said to Jamie. Wolf hearing and all that.” Cat smiled shakily. “We want to be your pack, and we protect our own. Don’t let Killian’s threats scare you. You both are more than welcome to stay, and hopefully you can see it in your heart to forgive us.”
She stared at Skylar a second, begging for that forgiveness. Maybe it meant more to Cat for them to forgive her than it did to Skylar. Like she needed some balance in her life, and only Skylar could give that to her. Skylar nodded. Not an affirmation of forgiveness, but that she’d think about it. And at Cat’s nod, Skylar knew it was enough. For now.
Cat stood, looking between the two of them. “I’m going to let you guys be alone. But I really felt you needed to know the whole story.” She turned to leave, her head hanging slightly.
“Cat,” Emery said, making Cat pause at the top of the stairs and look at her. “Thank you. For telling us.”
Cat’s eyes watered, and she shook her head before disappearing down the stairs.
The house went silent other than the disappearing sound of Cat’s footsteps on the gravel. Skylar stared at the staircase, confused and frustrated. Who was she supposed to side with? Her blood, or the people she had come to love in such a short amount of time?
“What are we going to do, Sky?” Emery whispered.
Skylar looked at Em, now curled onto the couch again. She’d pulled her knees into her chest, resting her chin on top. This wasn’t just Skylar’s loss—it was Emery’s too. They’d both lost a sister. Yet Emery looked to Skylar for a decision as if it were hers to make. Emery trusted her, and she couldn’t throw that out the window by acting impulsively. Her head pulsed with the decisions that needed to be made. All her trust and forgiveness buried by the pain.
“I don’t know yet, Em. I don’t know,” Skylar whispered back. She needed to be alone. To breathe. To rest. To think. She got up, walked to her room, and shut the door with a finalizing click. Leaving her sister alone in the room. She hated doing it. But right now she hated herself for a lot of things.